No. 76 Key Khosrow crosses the Sea of Zareh

In pursuit of the fleeing Afrasiyab, Key Khosrow came to the
mighty Sea of Zareh. A large inland body of water in the Shahnameh,
the Sea of Zareh is now a marshy border area between Iran and
Afghanistan, fed in part by the Helmand River. With provisions for a
year, Key Khosrow set sail towards Afrasiyab’s stronghold of Gang
Dezh. He encountered strange sea creatures during the seven-month
voyage. The scale of this manuscript allowed the artist generous
space for a lavish composition. The ship and its dinghy, rendered
with some foreshortening, are shown with considerable nautical
detail. The artist may have used an European prototype, perhaps an
etching.